Oct. 11, 2025 ~ Tigers' pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates striking out Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the sixth inning of ALDS Game 5 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Friday, Photo: Junfu Han ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
DETROIT, Oct. 14, 2025 ~ Detroit Tigers’ starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is expected to win a second consecutive American League Cy Young this year. While Detroit has one year of control left with Skubal, the future beyond 2026 is murky.
Skubal is set to hit the free agent market in 2027. Tigers‘ President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris mentioned the trust he has in owner Chris Ilitch to supply his staff with the appropriate resources, but he declined to comment on Skubal specifically at the final press conference of the 2025 season.
PODCAST:
Oct. 14, 2025 ~ The Detroit Tigers are keeping Manager A.J. Hinch and working on a long-term deal for American League Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal. WJR Senior Sports Analyst Steve Courtney joins “All Talk with Kevin Dietz” to share the latest.
(CONTINUED) There are a couple of different scenarios the Tigers could try with Skubal. They could choose to bring him back this season for a projected salary of $18 million while also going all in on free agents to make the team capable of a World Series run. They could also trade him for a huge haul of prospects under the assumption that he will require too much money to sign in 2027.
Or, they could stay put and let the young core in place continue to develop with the expectation that Skubal resigns. Speculation around the league suggests that Skubal could receive up to $400 million in an extension.
MLB free agency will open the day after the World Series concludes.
